Lithium silicate materials are described which can be easily processed by machining to dental products without undue wear of the tools and which subsequently can be converted into lithium silicate products showing high strength.

A gingiva former (1) comprises an implant fixing structure (11) configured to fix the gingiva former (1) to an implant construction fixed to a jaw of a patient, and an emergence profile portion (12) configured to be positioned within a gingiva of the patient when the gingiva former (1) is mounted to the implant construction. It further comprises a mounting structure (13) configured to connect an intermediate element to the gingiva former (1) such that the intermediate element extends towards an oral cavity of the patient when the gingiva former (1) is mounted to the implant construction. The mounting structure (13) has a clipping geometry (131) configured to snap-fit with a corresponding clipping structure of the intermediate element to temporarily mount the intermediate element to the gingiva former (1).

The present disclosure provides a scan posts system with a plurality of scan posts. Each scan post includes a scan post core and a scan post body surrounding the pillar of the core and resting in the shoulder of the core, wherein at least part of the scan post body is intended to be in contact with healing tissue. The scan post body of each scan post belongs to a group of scan post bodies comprising at least a combination of two different shapes with three different sizes and at least one height. Each scan post body includes at least one scan mark, the scan mark being suitable for providing information about the shape, size and height of the scan post to a scanning device, this information being useful for designing a dental implant prosthesis. The present disclosure also provides a method of manufacturing a dental implant prosthesis using such a scan post system.

Example fiducial markers include features that make them particularly useful in dental scanning methods for analyzing jaws of a patient, wherein the dental scanning methods involve taking multiple scans of the jaws, and/or models thereof, and then shifting the image of one scan to match that of another. Prior to scanning, the fiducial markers are attached to the patient's jaws to accurately identify and track the relative position of the jaws.

Example dental methods involve using a marker transfer jig that captures the location of one or more fiducial markers on a patient's jaw and then helps position an alternate marker, tool, fixture or some other chosen device on a cast model of the patient's jaw. The cast model with the attached alternate marker, tool, fixture or other chosen device is radiographically scanned and analyzed to aid in various orthodontic and other dental treatments.

A stable affixation system for dental implantation includes a fixation tray having, for rapid placement, a housing defining a chamber whose inner surface is configured to house a flowable or malleable material and be placed over one or more teeth during guided dental implantation surgery. A central portion not configured to flex is situated between housing side walls. Each such side wall has an upper side portion and a lower side portion. Without the lock a squeezing force on the upper side portions flexes the lower side portions outward. The lock urges the upper side portions outward so as to flex the lower side portions inward. The lock reduces or eliminates freedom of movement of the tray. The system allows rapid removal and is sturdy enough to withstand forces including from various angles and leverage. The central portion may hold registration elements.

A stable affixation system for dental implantation includes a fixation tray having, for rapid placement, a housing defining a chamber whose inner surface is configured to house a flowable or malleable material and be placed over one or more teeth during guided dental implantation surgery. Housing side walls are joined to a cross member that has a flexion region on each side of the housing, each side wall having an upper side portion and a lower side portion. Without the lock a squeezing force on the upper side portions flexes the lower side portions outward. The lock urges the upper side portions outward so as to flex the lower side portions inward, thereby urging the material, once hardened, against the teeth. The lock reduces or eliminates freedom of movement of the tray. The system allows rapid removal and is sturdy enough to withstand forces including from various angles and leverage.

Taking a digital implant or abutment level digital impression by means of intra-oral, computed tomography or other imaging method provides the restorative doctor and laboratory accurate and effective data for determining the implant position, angulation and locking feature orientation without a physical impression. Such data is correlated with a digital library to produce an output which enables design and fabrication of an accurate restorative device such as a prosthetic tooth or crown. In this way the time-consuming, costly and error prone mechanical replication of the relevant dental anatomy is obviated.

A method for making a rapid prototype of a patient's mouth to be used in the design and fabrication of a dental prosthesis. The method takes an impression of a mouth including a first installation site having a dental implant installed in the first installation site and a gingival healing abutment having at least one informational marker attached to the dental implant. A stone model is prepared based on the impression, including teeth models and model markers indicative of the at least one informational marker. The model is scanned. Scan data is generated from the scanning. The scan data is transferred to a CAD program. A three-dimensional model of the installation site is created in the CAD program. The at least one informational marker is determined to gather information for manufacturing the rapid prototype. Rapid prototype dimensional information is developed. The rapid prototype dimensional information is transferred to a rapid prototyping machine which fabricate a rapid prototype of the patient's dentition as well as a dental implant analog position.

Molds for fabrication of custom and potentially modifiable abutments and impression posts for dental implants with various degrees of angulations (including zero degrees) and various dimensions are provided, with a generally oval shape that expands laterally upwards, a symmetrical or asymmetrical cross-section, and regular surfaces, that are fabricated as one piece, or as two coupling pieces snapping onto each other. Custom abutments achieve the development of a custom gingival emergence profile, three dimensionally, which is potentially modifiable according to the needs of each particular clinical case. Custom impression posts that correspond in dimensions and angulations to the abutments allow the accurate recording and transfer of the developed gingival emergence profile from the mouth onto the working cast, where the final implant prosthesis is fabricated. Custom abutments and impression posts have properties and design that allows their preparation and usage as temporary abutments for the cementation and support of temporary prostheses.